• Updated 2023-07-12: Hello, Guest! Welcome back, and be sure to check out this follow-up post about our outage a week or so ago.

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    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    I was finally able to get this CP onto a HFS disk which I could use to install on the external hard drive and...it solved the problem. Thank you Paralel for the advice and link to version 1.3. Here it is:
  2. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    Thank you for this. I've got it downloaded, now I just need to get it onto a Mac readable floppy.
  3. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    I just had an opportunity to check and I think it's version 1.2. I have little experience with MacOS 6.0.x so perhaps I'm not checking the right thing. I went into the "System Folder" and checked the version of the icon named "Portable". It reported version 1.2. Since this is a "stock" version...
  4. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    It is present. I think it's referred to as the "ROM Card". This is the card where the connector has been damaged. However I think I've been able to secure the two wires where the connector has broken off. Wiggling these wires doesn't result in the backlight illuminating.
  5. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    I'll check the version. However, I am booting from a generic MacOS 6.0.8 floppy. Also, I installed this version to an external hard drive and then booted from there. Either way there is a Portable CP so I'll check.
  6. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    The system has been upgraded which, I think, is making it more difficult to find troubleshooting information for it.
  7. O

    Mac Portable Backlight Issue

    I have been working on a friends M5120 Macintosh Portable and have been making slow but steady progress on bringing it back to life. The first step was a full system board recap. Then I discovered an open trace near the V1M module. Everything looks to be in working order except for the screen...
  8. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    I picked up an inexpensive bench power supply, set it for 6.7 volts and powered on the system. Unfortunately it appears the hard drive no longer functions so I am unable to boot it from there. My only option is the floppy which works fine but does not power on the backlight. I will have to work...
  9. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 - Where to Bodge?

    Can (or do you want to) determine where the break is? If it's close to the capacitor pad perhaps you could scrape away some of the solder mask and bridge it. Then use some fingernail polish to cover the bridge. Otherwise the way you intend to bodge seems fine, if not ideal, to me.
  10. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 - Where to Bodge?

    That seems reasonable to me. Is there a via or something on the bottom of the board which you could attach to?
  11. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    It was not, it was sleeping. I'm trying to decide if I should buy another battery or bench power supply. This makes sense. I couldn't imagine trying to use it under general lighting.
  12. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    I ran it through the full range and it didn't really, nor did I expect it to, change the brightness of the display to make it easier to read in lower light. I wonder if the backlit display without the backlight on is darker than the non-backlit display. For the brief period I saw the backlight...
  13. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    Yes, I recapped it. Initially it didn't work until I had done so. There was some slight leakage but nothing severe nor was anything damaged. Here's a pic with the Control Panel open and the Portable icon selected along with the battery status. Again I had to use the bench light in order to see...
  14. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    This is a pic of the battery which I have been using. The battery was purchased from Ebay as a replacement for the Macintosh Portable. It appears the seller may have 3-D printed a case and installed this battery and wired as appropriate. Reviewing the specifications it looks as if this is a 6V...
  15. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    Thanks for this information. As I had previously purchased an ATX connector and with it I was able to plug directly into the Mac Portable instead of using the battery compartment "fingers". With it I was able to boot the system from floppy but not the hard drive (see picture). The power supply...
  16. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    This is the concern I have with using the bench power supply. Or is it different as I'd be connecting the bench power supply to the battery terminals instead of the charger port? Mind you I only want to do this as a test, by using the bench power supply I would know there is sufficient power...
  17. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    I suspected that might be the case. What's odd is the backlight came on, briefly, when booted from this floppy disk. Is it possible I can copy the brightness CP to this floppy? I was thinking this too. The battery I am using is a manufactured one purchased off of Ebay (this is not my system...
  18. O

    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    I do not as the original hard drive does not appear to function. It makes some initial noises, then attempts to spin up, and then spins back down. It repeats this process over and over. I am currently booting it with a System 6.0.8 disk but I did not see the brightness control panel when it was...
  19. O

    Macintosh Portable seems to be fully working, what shall I do to prevent some failures?

    I read that you already received the pic you were looking for but I had taken these a couple of months ago with the explicit intent to share with the community, I just didn't know where to do so but here seems to be as good a place as any. These are made available to the community to use as they...
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    Macintosh Portable M5120 Repair Tips

    Reviving this thread as I finally got some time to start troubleshooting this. Before doing so here are some updates: I was able to obtain a working original Macintosh Portable power supply. Using this I was able to somewhat charge the battery. Using this somewhat charged battery I was able to...
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